Nation-High Four Ferris State Men's Golfers Receive All-America Scholar Team Honors

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Big Rapids, Mich. - A nation-high tying four members of the Ferris State University men's golf program were recently named to the 2015 Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar Team for their efforts on the course and in the classroom as announced by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA).

The Bulldogs' four All-America Scholar selections included junior Ben Cook (Caledonia/Grand Rapids South Christian), senior Chris Eaton (Edwardsburg), junior Zak Kiefer (Clio/EAJ Memorial) and senior Sam Stark (Hartland). 

The four honorees matched fellow Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member Wayne State for both the most in the conference and in the country. Overall, a total of 16 individuals from the league were recognized for the 2014-15 campaign.

To be eligible for Cleveland Golf/Srixon All-America Scholar status, an individual must be a junior or senior academically, compete in at least three full years at the collegiate level, participate in 50 percent of his team's competitive rounds, have a stroke-average under 78.0 in Division II, and maintain a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or above. A recipient must also be of high moral character and be in good standing at his college or university.

A total of 206 players in Division I, 91 in Division II and 17 in NAIA earned the honor this season. Both Eaton and Stark earned the distinction for the second-straight year and all four Bulldog honorees were previously named to the GLIAC All-Academic Excellence Team this season.

This season, Cook was tabbed to the 2015 Division II PING All-America and All-Midwest Region Teams. He had his best season on the collegiate level to date for the Bulldogs as the three-year letterwinner placed among the top 10 performers in tournament action in nine of FSU's 11 regular-season competitions this season, including five of six outings this spring.

This year, Cook twice earned medalist honors in tournament action and also claimed runner-up laurels on two other occasions. Overall, the FSU standout recorded eight top-five finishes in the 2014-15 campaign. Along with earning first-team all-conference honors, Cook was also named the GLIAC Golfer of the Year.

Meanwhile, Eaton competed in all 12 Bulldog tournaments this past year and finished among the top 20 performers five times. His season was highlighted by placing tied for fifth individually at three different events. He previously was an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention choice in 2013-14 and earned the All-America Scholar Team distinction for the second consecutive year.

This year, Kiefer also played in all 12 outings for Ferris State and had four top-20 finishes, including three performances in the top 10 overall. He earned medalist honors for the Bulldogs in dual action against Bellarmine and also began the spring with a runner-up finish at the NCAA Preview event.

Finally, Stark placed among the top 30 golfers in five outings this spring. The two-time All-America Scholar Team recipient appeared in 10 competitions and placed tied for ninth in dual action versus Bellarmine. He also finished among the top 30 golfers in three of four outings during the fall campaign, including 22nd at the 2014 GLIAC Championships.

The Bulldogs, under seventh-year head coach Mike Mignano, made their 13th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance in men's golf this season. FSU placed 16th overall in the 2015 NCAA Midwest/Central Super Regional. Ferris State's current 13-year NCAA Championship appearance streak in men's golf ranks as one of the longest active stretches in the country.

A year ago, Ferris State also was crowned as the Division II Academic National Champions for the 2013-14 season by the GCAA.